Public Service Announcement Trends - Daypart Analysis

Most PSA Airings Are Not During Late Night

The vast majority of WestGlen public service announcement (PSA) airings do not happen late at night, as discovered during an examination of PSA airings in 2010.

Highlights of 2010 Broadcast PSA Airings:

--Waking hour airings:  69% of television PSA airings and  60% of radio PSA airings occurred during waking day parts

-- Less than 1/3 of television PSA airings (31 percent) occurred in the overnight hours

--13% of radio airings occurred during morning drive, the television equivalent of prime time.  And 15% of television airings occurred between fringe and prime time (with 4% occurring during prime time, an increase from previous years)

Day Part Breakdowns:

          Television Day Parts                                                                          Radio Day Parts                                         

Early Morning	5:00AM – 8:59AM	19%		Morning Drive	6:00AM – 9:59AM	13%
Daytime	9:00AM – 3:59PM	22%		Mid-Day	10:00AM – 2:59PM	15%
Early Fringe	4:00PM – 7:59PM	11%		Evening Drive	3:00PM – 6:59PM	11%
Prime Time	8:00PM – 9:59PM	4%		Late Night	7:00PM – 11:59PM	22%
Late Evening	10:00PM – 12:59PM	13%		Overnight	12:00AM – 5:59AM	39%
Late Night	1:00AM – 4:59AM	31%

Analysis Background

WestGlen’s day part analysis examined 639,600 television PSA airings and 196,975 radio PSA airings that occurred between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010.  Television airings were detected by A.C. Nielsen’s SIGMA tracking service and radio airings were detected by Mediaguide and reported to WestGlen Communications with the exact date and time of each airing.  Television day part hours are the accepted industry standard set by A.C. Nielsen.  Radio day part hours are the accepted industry standard set by Arbitron.  It should be noted that the Overnight radio day part contains one extra hour than the Late Night television day part and therefore captures a larger proportion of PSA airings.

About WestGlen Communications

WestGlen Communications has been a leading provider of broadcast and multimedia PR programs through the production, distribution and placement of news packages, multimedia tours and public service announcements (PSAs) for over 40 years.  We have a proven track record in the distribution of PSAs, evidenced by over 1.6 million airings earned for more than 200 broadcast PSA campaigns tracked by WestGlen in 2010. 

WestGlen provides strategic counsel and services to public relations agencies, corporations, trade associations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in New York City, WestGlen has regional offices in Washington D.C., Chicago and San Francisco.